Final Journey
by Soul of a Wolf
Summary: Ultimecia may be gone, but what's to come of our heroes? A recap of the ending movie of FF8, with dialogue.


Hey everybody! I'm back after forever, and not writing about pokemon! This is my first FF8 story (only cuz a friend of mine got me hooked on the game, the little butt-munch!). I guess it's not much of an original story. I just wanted to put some dialogue to the ending movie, since it took me for friggin' ever to get there! Anyway, it's been a while since I've put my writing skills to work, so constructive criticism is very welcome!

This starts exactly where the movie portion starts. I don't exactly have a photographic memory, so if I screw a few parts up, please don't chew me! If you haven't finished the game yet (if you're even playing it) and don't want a spoiler, you might not want to read this! I'm gonna get kinda detailed about the end of the game!

A/N: If there are a couple of Rain's in there, I'm not referring to Raine, I mean Rinoa. Rain was what I named her in the game and I've kind of grown attached to it. Now, if it's Raine, then I mean Raine and not Rain who's actually Rinoa. *-_- 

Maybe this makes it easier:

Rain = Rinoa

Raine = Raine

Sorry 'bout all that.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, of course, nor do I own the song Eyes On Me.

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I'm a fool.

Squall stumbled along the endless desert. The parched land seemed to forget its distress just so it could laugh at him. He'd already been walking forever, so he thought, and it had given him plenty of time for doubt.

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Complete fool. To think I could live for a fairy tale ending! After finally defeating Ultimecia… He stumbled again at the thought. _That damn woman just wouldn't die!_ He continued on, reliving the painful battle over again. Watching as Irvine, Quistis and Selphie had disappeared before his eyes. Absorbed into time before he had a chance to revive them. He had barely called to Zell in time to use their only Holy War when Hell's Judgement had struck them. It was a long, drawn out battle.

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And when it was finally over, what did I expect? Everything to be over and all of us to be back together, on the Lunatic Pandora where we started. Ha! I never should've given in. Now, I can't find anyone. Irvine, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa…

He stumbled again, landing on his rear before stumbling over the edge of the cliff he had just come to. He looked around, confused, his vision hazing.

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Rinoa. I'm so sorry. Some knight I am. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Squall!" Rinoa cries again as she runs through the field of flowers. Looking around, she sees no end. _He has to be here, we promised!_ Suddenly, a feather flew away from her. She followed it up into the sky, until is disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He looked up, eyes widening. A single, golden feather danced in the sky. Mesmerized, he watched it float closer and closer to him. Then, he reached out, catching it in his hand.

Suddenly, he was in a field of flowers. Surrounded by bright light in a field of life. In front of him, _Rinoa?_ She was standing before him, back to him. His mouth moved, but he couldn't call out, no matter how hard he tried. She turned around, but he couldn't make out her face. It was blurry, wavy as a ripple is from a stone thrown in a pond. She smiled, pointing upward to the dark sky. He turned his head, suddenly in his SeeD uniform, back at the Graduation Ball. She was making the same gesture, pointing up to a shooting star. She started walking toward him, but never reached him. Before she came close, the scene would start over, not once could he make out her face. Then, her necklace with the two rings: one her mothers', one his Griever ring, floated in front of him. Then, back to the ball room and she was walking toward him again, but suddenly, she was Edea. Edea before they had removed Ultimecia from her. He turned and saw her face as she was leaping toward him from the sealing chamber at the Sorceress Memorial. Again at the ball, but fuzzy. He saw Irvine, Zell, Selphie, and Quistis. He saw Ellone, Edea, Headmaster Cid and everyone else he'd met. Images and memories flashed before his eyes, as if being played on an old television set with bad reception. Finally, he just shut down. He closed his eyes, and fell back.

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Rinoa…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Where are you, Squall? Why aren't you here? We promised!

Maybe…maybe you're lost? Maybe you are like me in the dream.

You've forgotten! She closed her eyes, holding on to her necklace.

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Then I'll come to you, Squall.

Suddenly, she was in a vast desert. Fear raced through her heart, but she walked on with what little confidence she had. Slowly, at first, then her pace quickened as the saw a shadow ahead of her.

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My last night here for you

Same old songs, just once more

My last night here with you?

Maybe yes, maybe no

Rinoa found Squall, lying still before her. Kneeling before him, she was afraid to touch him at first.

__

I kind of liked it your way

How you shyly placed your eyes on me

"You're just asleep, right Squall?" She reached down to pick him up, bracing him over her lap. He didn't react, didn't fight, didn't even seem to be breathing.

__

Oh, did you ever know?

That I had mine, on you

"Squall…" she whispered. _After all we've been through?_ Her eyes were welling with tears. _After you fought Ultimecia? After you, yes you Squall!, defeated Griever? No. This isn't the end._

"No!!" she cried, pulling him to her and burying her face in his shoulder. 

__

Darling so there you are

With that look on your face

Suddenly, from that very spot, life burst up from the dead earth. She looked up, not releasing Squall, to find she was back in the field, back outside of Edea's house.

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As if you're never hurt

As if you're never down

Shall I be the one for you?

Who pinches you softly but sure.

Rinoa looked down at Squall, and the tears started flowing from her eyes.

__

If frown is shown then

I will know, that you are no dreamer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seifer stares at the still bobber in the water. With a deep sigh, he rests his head on his fist, until a disturbance to his side gets his attention.

Raijin is holding his own line, a large fish thrashing wildly in a vain attempt to escape.

"Check this out, Fujin! I did it, ya know? I actually did it!" Fujin stands, unresponsive.

Seifer stands, slamming his fishing pole to the wooden floor of the dock, and turning to kick a bucket into the water.

"How the hell did he pull that off?" Fujin shrugs with a smile on her face, and a dangerous twinkle in her one eye. She turns, and nonchalantly kicks Raijin into the water, releasing his fish. Seifer laughs heartily, and Fujin smiles even more.

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Seifer hasn't laughed like that in so long…

A dark shadow covers them. Seifer looks up as Balamb Garden sails easily above them, overlooking an astonished Fujin and a waterlogged Raijin. Seifer simply smiles.

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You won, Squall. It was fun. You won.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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So let me come to you.

Close as I want to be.

Laguna Loire walks in an empty field toward memories. He stops as the wind blows a single feather his way, and looks down at his left hand. A single band adorns his ring finger, and he's taken back to an evening years ago. Before Ultimecia, before he became President of Esthar, before Ellone was kidnapped, before so many worry lines had made their home on his aged face.

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Close enough for me

To feel you heart beating fast

His head lifts as he hears someone call him. Turning, Raine stands before him, an innocent but worried smile on her face. He closes his left hand and smiles back at her.

"What are you doing out here, Laguna? Come on back now, dinner's ready and Ellone's worried." _And so am I…_she finishes to herself.

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And stay there as I whisper

How I loved your peaceful eyes on me

Did you ever know

That I had mine on you

Oh please don't let me screw this up! Laguna thinks. _Ack! My leg's cramping up! Maybe later, then…_

"Ijusthavetogodosomethingrealquick," he spits out and turns, trying to walk away.

"Now wait just a minute, you!" Raine calls as she reaches for his left hand with hers. _Bingo!_ Laguna thinks with abnormal calm. He turns, taking her hand in his, and smoothly places the wedding band on her ring finger.

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Darling so share with me

Your love if you have enough

Your tears if you're holding back

Or pain if that's what it is

She stops, breathless, and lifts her hand up for inspection. Laguna smirks, showing his hand and displaying the wedding band already on his finger. Raine simply gapes, and Laguna fights off another leg cramp.

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How can I let you know

I'm more than the dress and the voice

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Please don't say no, please, don't say no!

"Raine? Will you-" before he gets a chance to finish the question, she throws her arms around him, crying with joy. He smiles, wrapping his arms around her lovingly.

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Just reach me out then

You will know that you are not dreaming.

"Thank you, Laguna," a whisper in the wind reaches his ears as he's brought back to the present. He walks a few steps more, reaching his destination.

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Darling so there you are

With that look on your face

Looking down, he reads the marker once more:

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Raine Loire

In Memory of a Loving Wife

And the Flowers She Gave the World

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As if you're never hurt

As if you're never down

"Uncle Laguna!" He turns, seeing a fully grown Ellone come running toward him, waving. Kiros and Ward stand smiling at the top of the hill.

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Shall I be the one for you?

Who pinches you softly but sure

He smiles, then turns and kneels before the marker.

"I love you, Raine," he whispers as a single tear makes its way down his face.

__

If frown is shown then

I will know that you are no dreamer.

He looks up as the wind picks up, and Balamb Garden slowly makes its way over them. And following it, a single, golden feather…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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"Come on, I just changed the batteries today! Why won't this thing work?" There's some static, and then Selphie's face.

"Ah, that's better!" She maneuvers the camera around to place Quistis and a bumbling Irvine in its line of view. Quistis is turning her head in an effort to _not_ be associated with the boy attempting to dance beside her. Selphie laughs.

"Hey guys! Come on, I want to get everyone on tape! No matter how foolish they look," she says toward Irvine.

"Hey, now, Sefie!" he whines as Quistis chuckles quietly. "Don't be so cruel. I looked hot and you know it!"

"I think I'll just go over her," Quistis mumbles, trying to make an escape. Irvine reaches over and holds on to her.

"Oh, come on Quisty! Let's give Sefie's camera something to remember, heh?" He struggles to hold her still, until finally, she sends him flying away from her. Selphie zooms in as Quistis regains her composure. Brushing a stray hair back, she smiles at the camera and point over to the direction she's heading.

Selphie follows her, recording as she chats with Headmaster Cid. Then Irvine sidles up, slipping in front of the camera's lens.

"Irvine! What do you think you're doing?"

"Just making sure we all remember who the star of the show is!" He laughs and quickly walks over to stand by Quistis, who points over to the side. Selphie turns the camera to follow Edea as she walks in, greeting the others with a bow. Irvine removes his hat and bows in synch with Quistis.

"How are you this evening, Matron?" Quistis asks politely.

"Just fine, Quisty," Edea responds with a smile as Quistis blushes at her old nickname coming from an adult. Irvine and Cid simply laugh, and Selphie turns the camera off.

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"Hey Irvine! Make yourself useful and man the camera for a while!"

"Awww, do I have to, Sefie? There are SO many beautiful women here at your guys' Garden! They're probably all waiting for me!"

"Don't fool yourself, ya big oaf! Just get over here, will ya?"

"Oh fine." The camera flicks back on, and Selphie and Quistis are standing side by side…at a ninety degree angle.

"Irvine! Turn the camera!"

"Oh, yeah! That's better." They all laugh and Selphie waves. Irvine turns the camera, zooming in on three young girls having a quiet conversation. He waves to them as they giggle and wave back. Selphie pops up in front of the camera.

"Ah!"

"What do you think you're doing, ya big doof!" She walks back to Quistis, and Irvine follows her, thoroughly chagrined. Quistis smiles, then looks shocked as she points off to the side once again. Irvine turns the camera to find Zell stuffing his face next the little librarian girl with the pigtail. Suddenly, he stops, and turns an interesting shade of blue. _That cannot be what steak is supposed to taste like! _he thinks to himself, looking for something to wash the foul stuff down with. Quistis and Selphie, however, mistake his color for choking, and start pounding on his back.

"Grerhgos!! Giehdoih manpshdm heohlsk!!" Zell, mumbles. _Ack! They're making me swallow all this gunk! _He finally makes a gesture to cut them off, and they look at him apprehensively. He leaps up out of his seat, scaring them both off. Irvine laughs and laughs, at least, until Zell notices him.

"Zell, buddy, I was just…Ack!" he ducks, but doesn't quite avoid the large chunk of meat the Zell launched at him. The camera goes off for a moment.

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"Man, that was nasty stuff! No wonder he went all blue. Hope the camera's alright…ah, there we go!" He picks the camera up just as Angelo goes loping across the screen. Selphie returns, laughing, front and center.

"That was great! I'll never let him live that one down! Hey, where'd he come from?" she asks, pointing to Angelo.

"Beats me," Irvine replies. "I didn't think Rinoa-"

"Shhh! Look out on the balcony!" she whispers, with a huge smile on her face. He turns, and catches Rinoa leaning against the railing. She turns to the side and points up to the sky, with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Selphie? What's it mean when that funky battery looking thing is flashing on the screen?"

The camera shuts off, missing the show that was never intended to be a public viewing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rinoa just stood there, staring up at the star-sprinkled heavens. She sighs, thinking about everything that just happened.

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We did it. We finally did it. Time Compression was stopped, Ultimecia was defeated. Everything is as it should be!

She smiled as a shooting star left its silvery trail across the sky. She leaned back from the rail, and looked to her right. Pointing up, she smiled.

"It started with one, and it ends with one."

Squall smiled, looking down at her.

"It's only just beginning," he replied. Reaching for her hand, he pulls her in close, startling her.

"Squall?" He simply smiled before leaning down to kiss her. Rinoa jumped at first, then wrapped her arms around him, kissing back with all the feelings she'd kept inside since they'd met.

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I'm finally home, Squall thought as he kissed Rinoa beneath the light of the full moon. Somehow, at that moment, neither of them believed anything about the moon being a dark, dangerous place.

They just thought it was another part of heaven.

So what'd you think? I know, I know, the camera scenes weren't all that well written. I couldn't quite think of how to do it. And as far as the tombstone, all you really see on the game is her name, I added the rest for effect. Anyway, please review!


End file.
